Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the third quarter was $209 million, reflecting a slight increase from the prior year, with a 1% growth overall [5][18] - Revenue growth outside of U.S. credit was strong at 10% [5] - Diluted earnings per share were reported at $1.84 [18] - Total commission revenue remained flat compared to the prior year, while services revenue increased by 9% to a record $29 million [18][19] - Total expenses increased by 3%, driven mainly by higher employee compensation and technology costs [21][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total credit commission revenue was $165 million, down 2% year-over-year, with a 9% decline in U.S. high-grade and flat growth in U.S. high-yield [20] - Block trading ADV across U.S. credit, emerging markets, and Eurobonds increased by 10% in Q3 and 21% in October [7][8] - Portfolio trading ADV increased by 20%, with a record in U.S. high-yield ADV [8][12] - Dealer-initiated ADV was $1.7 billion year-to-date, representing a 34% increase [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - 36% of global credit trading volume is now driven by clients outside of North America, up from 29% in 2020 [10] - U.S. high-yield ADV growth in October was strong, up 9% [9] - The average size of non-block trades is decreasing, while the average block size is increasing, with blocks greater than or equal to $5 million representing approximately 45% of trade volume in U.S. high-grade [13][14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on providing a protocol-agnostic platform that utilizes data and analytics to assist clients in choosing the appropriate trading protocol [5][6] - Investments are being made in technology transformation and new protocols to address competitive challenges, particularly in U.S. credit [17][35] - The launch of a new protocol for closing auctions in the fixed income market is aimed at providing an end-of-day liquidity solution [8][9][44] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted a return to more challenging market conditions and historic levels of new issues in September, impacting revenue growth in U.S. credit [5][6] - There is optimism about the potential for higher levels of revenue growth in the coming quarters due to ongoing investments in technology and new initiatives [17][25] - The current macro environment shows signs of increased volatility, which could enhance the attractiveness of the company's all-to-all liquidity solutions [62] Other Important Information - The company generated $385 million in free cash flow over the trailing 12 months and repurchased 595,000 shares year-to-date for a total of $120 million [23] - The effective tax rate increased to 27.1%, reflecting an increased accrual for uncertain tax positions [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: On the MIDEX U.S. launch and overall share gains - Management discussed the early success of the MIDEX launch and plans to increase the number of sessions, emphasizing the importance of dealer relationships [28][30] - Concerns about overall growth and market share in U.S. credit were acknowledged, with a focus on technology investments to address competitive dynamics [33][34] Question: About the closing auctions and market share - Management highlighted the significant investment in the closing auction project, which aims to support the growing indexation of the fixed income market [41][42] - The closing auction is designed to provide a clearing price for trades, differentiating it from existing mid-market matching sessions [43][44] Question: On U.S. block trading and dealer liquidity - Management expressed optimism about block trading as a major opportunity, noting growth rates and upcoming changes to enhance dealer liquidity [52][54] Question: On the macro environment and growth potential - Management acknowledged the challenges posed by lower credit spreads and volatility but noted recent signs of increased activity and potential for growth [59][61] Question: On the mix of volumes in credit and trade sizes - Management explained the trends of increasing block sizes and decreasing smaller trades, attributing this to portfolio trading and SMA growth [76][78]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the third quarter was $209 million, reflecting a slight increase from the prior year, with a 1% growth overall [5][19] - Revenue growth outside of U.S. credit was strong at 10%, while U.S. credit revenue growth faced challenges [5][19] - Diluted earnings per share were reported at $1.84 [19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total commission revenue remained flat compared to the prior year, while services revenue increased by 9% to a record $29 million [19] - Information services revenue rose by 6% to $14 million, and technology services revenue increased by 20% to $4 million [20] - Total block trading ADV was approximately $5 billion year-to-date, up 23% across U.S. credit, emerging markets, and Eurobonds [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. credit trading volume grew at a 4% CAGR in North America, while other credit products experienced double-digit growth [10] - 36% of global credit trading volume is now driven by clients outside of North America, up from 29% in 2020 [10] - In October, total portfolio trading ADV was up 25%, and market share in U.S. credit portfolio trading increased by 300 basis points [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on providing a protocol-agnostic platform that utilizes data and analytics to assist clients in choosing the appropriate trading protocol [5][6] - Investments are being made in technology transformation, portfolio trading, dealer-to-dealer business, and automation tools to enhance competitive positioning [33][34] - The introduction of closing auctions to the fixed income market is aimed at providing an end-of-day liquidity solution [9][41] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenges posed by limited volatility and tight spreads, impacting revenue growth in U.S. credit [5][6] - There is optimism regarding the potential for higher levels of growth due to ongoing investments in technology and new initiatives [18][36] - Recent increases in volatility and spreads in November are seen as positive indicators for future performance [61][62] Other Important Information - The effective tax rate increased to 27.1%, reflecting a higher accrual for uncertain tax positions [20] - The company generated $385 million in free cash flow over the trailing 12 months and repurchased 595,000 shares year-to-date for a total of $120 million [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: On the Mid-X U.S. launch and overall share gains - Management discussed the early success of the Mid-X launch and its relationship with portfolio trading, emphasizing the need for additional dealer participation [28][30] - Concerns about overall market share growth were acknowledged, with a commitment to faster technology enhancements to address competition [32][33] Question: About the closing auctions and market share - Management highlighted the significant investment in closing auctions, which are designed to support the growing indexation of the fixed income market [41][44] - The potential for closing auctions to capture a portion of the $150 trillion global fixed income market was discussed [43][44] Question: On U.S. block trading and dealer liquidity - Management noted that block trading presents a significant opportunity, with growth rates improving in recent months [52][53] - The importance of content and dealer partnerships in driving block trading success was emphasized [54] Question: On the macro environment and growth strategies - Management acknowledged the challenges of low volatility and tight spreads but expressed optimism about recent increases in activity [61][62] - The strategy of being protocol agnostic was reiterated as a key to navigating different market conditions [71][72] Question: On the mix of volumes in credit and trade sizes - Management explained the trend of smaller trades becoming smaller and larger trades becoming larger, attributing this to portfolio trading and SMA growth [77][78] - The expectation that larger trades will continue to be broken into smaller trades was discussed [80][81]